The Roots of My Raising
The Roots of My Raising | ||||
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Studio albumby | ||||
Released | November 1976 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer | Ken Nelson,Fuzzy Owen | |||
Merle HaggardandThe Strangerschronology | ||||
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The Roots of My Raisingis the twenty-first studio album by Americancountry musicsingerMerle HaggardandThe Strangers,released in 1976. It was his third release in 1976 and his last on theCapitollabel until his return in 2004. It reached number 8 on theBillboardcountry albums chart.
History
[edit]The album includes Haggard's last #1 hit of the decade, "Cherokee Maiden,"a song written by Cindy Walker. It spent 11 weeks on the charts, reaching #1.[1]TheTommy Collins-written title track had also gone to #1, Haggard's ninth consecutive chart topper stretching back to 1973 and twenty-third number one overall. The album also features material originally recorded byJimmie RodgersandLefty Frizzell,two of Haggard's biggest musical influences.
Critical reception
[edit]Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Thom Jurek ofAllMusicenthuses that Haggard's final Capitol album was "a hell of a way to go out" and calls "What Have You Got Planned Tonight, Diana," "one of Haggard's most overlooked gems."[2]In his essay for the 1994 Haggard box setDown Every Road,music journalist Daniel Cooper observes, "While the #1 hits had not dried up for Merle, and while he still had the power to slay on isolated non-hits like 'What Have You Got Planned Tonight, Diana,' his overall output the last years on Capitol had started to sound a bit uninspired."[3]
Track listing
[edit]- "The Roots of My Raising"(Tommy Collins)
- "What Have You Got Planned Tonight, Diana" (Dave Kirby)
- "Waltz You Saved for Me" (Gus Kahn,Wayne King,Emil Flindt)
- "Walk on the Outside" (Kirby, Chuck Howard)
- "Gambling Polka Dot Blues" (Jimmie Rodgers,Roy E. Hall)
- "Cherokee Maiden" (Cindy Walker)
- "Am I Standing in Your Way" (Merle Haggard)
- "Colorado" (Kirby)
- "I Never Go Around Mirrors" (Lefty Frizzell,Sanger D. Shafer)
- "Mississippi Delta Blues" (Rodgers, Jack Neville)
Personnel
[edit]- Merle Haggard– vocals, guitar
- Roy Nichols– lead guitar
- Norman Hamlet– steel guitar, dobro
- Tiny Moore– mandolin
- Eldon Shamblin– guitar
- Ronnie Reno – guitar
- Mark Yeary – piano
- James Tittle – bass
- Biff Adam – drums
- Don Markham – saxophone
With
- Dave Kirby – guitar
- Bobby Wayne – guitar
- Dennis Hromek – bass
- Johnny Gimble– fiddle
and
- Hargus "Pig" Robbins– piano, organ
- Glen D. Hardin– piano
Chart positions
[edit]Year | Chart | Position |
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1977 | BillboardCountry albums | 8 |
References
[edit]- ^Whitburn, Joel(2004).The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition.Record Research. p. 147.
- ^abJurek, Thom."The Roots of My Raising> Review ".AllMusic.RetrievedFebruary 23,2015.
- ^Down Every Road 1962–1994compilation album. Liner notes by Daniel Cooper